


Snow-White and Rose-Red

by pushkin666



Category: Bandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Bandslash, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-28
Updated: 2009-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-05 09:58:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushkin666/pseuds/pushkin666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bandom re-telling of Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snow-White and Rose-Red

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MistressKat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressKat/gifts).



Once upon a time in a lonely cottage on the outskirts of a large forest, away from the cities and the towns, there lived a poor widow. She was a city girl who'd met and married a woodsman leaving her family and the city behind her. Their home was frugal but welcoming; the widow loved flowers and trees and the late woodsman had bought her many seeds and saplings to plant and grow and over the years she had tended her garden with such care and affection that it had grown into something beautiful to behold.

She had two children, two boys who she named Gerard and Patrick. Although they were poor they were a happy family. Most beloved to the widow were two rose-trees that her husband had bought her. They stood outside her cottage, one of which bore white and the other red roses.

Their late father had nicknamed his sons Snow-White and Rose-Red after the roses. Both boys were pale of skin; Gerard with dark hair like his mother and Patrick with hair and temper as red as his father. As they grew older they were embarrassed by the names but neither of their parents would stop using them.

Although Patrick was the younger of the two boys he easily took on the role of protector of his mother and brother, after their father died, far more suited to it despite his youth than Gerard ever would be. Gerard was the more quiet and gentle of the two boys, being the type to lose himself in his thoughts and dreams. He was never more content than when he was drawing and painting.

Patrick was happier outside. He loved to sing and play the drums and guitar. His father had dealt for the guitar two summers before he died, and he'd fashioned the drum for Patrick. During the summer months Patrick would take himself outside to practice his instruments. Gerard loved to sing with him, their voices mixing well together, singing the songs that Patrick had written for them. While their mother sat by and listened, with a smile independently as beautiful as the music they weaved.

The two boys were so fond of each other that they hated to be apart. Even when they fought they would soon make up. They could never be angry with each other for very long and even after a quarrel it wouldn't be long before they would once again be sat next to each other, Gerard's head normally resting on Patrick's shoulder. When they talked of the future, of possible mates Gerard would grab Patrick's hand saying "we will not leave each other." And Patrick would smile and squeeze his brother's hand reassuringly answering him. "Never so long as we live,"

Their parents would smile and add "What one has he must share with the other." And the two boys would look at each other when their parents said that, knowing full well that, though they might share most things, that was something they wouldn't be sharing

In essence they were a happy family, and although it appeared as though the whole family did nothing more than feast upon sugar each day, they were only human. The boys, although they loved each other and their mother dearly, could be as bitchy and hormonal (especially as they got older), as much as the next person.

One evening, as they were sitting comfortably together, a knock was heard on the front door of the cottage. The two boys looked up from their game. Patrick stood and pulled down his father's axe from where it was fitted to the wall.

"Oh Patrick," his mother said. "It's probably just a traveller wanting shelter. You won't need that."

"I'm sure I won't but I'm just being careful," he answered. He turned and left the room, the axe hoisted over his shoulder.

Patrick went to the cottage door and pushed back the bolt, hoping that it was a traveller and he wouldn't have to use his father's axe. He'd never deliberately hurt anybody, and when he killed animals it was for food, not for pleasure or sport. He opened the door. In front of him was a bear that stretched his broad, black head into the doorway.

Patrick screamed and sprang back, hoisting the axe up and holding it in front of himself. But the bear began to speak and said, "Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm! I am half -frozen, and only want to warm myself a little beside your fire. ."

The bear speaking was completely unexpected; because after all bears don't speak! Patrick stood firm in the hallway, the axe in his hand.

The bear didn't move, simply stared at him and then Patrick jumped as a hand touched his shoulder.

"Patrick." His mother said. "Let the bear in. It's clearly an enchanted bear and therefore won't hurt us."

"Poor bear," said the mother, "come inside and lie down by the fire, only take care that you do not burn your coat."

Patrick thought his mother was completely mad but he also trusted her instincts. Slowly he stepped back down the hallway ensuring that he kept himself between his mother and the bear. The bear followed him into the main room. Patrick pushed his mother behind him and then turned to glare at Gerard.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he said to his brother. "Why did you let her leave the room?"

"Like I had any choice in the matter." Gerard replied. "You know what she's like when she puts her mind to anything.

They jumped as the bear spoke again, saying "Here, boys, knock the snow out of my coat a little." They looked at each other and then their mother. At her nod Patrick put the axe down but kept his hand on it. Gerard went and fetched the hand brush and crouching down by the bear he swept the bear's hide clean. The bear stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly. It was not long before Gerard grew more comfortable and he slowly put his hand out and stroked over the fine black fur. The bear growled softly with pleasure at Gerard's stroking. Gerard couldn't stop staring at the fur but Patrick would not let down his guard.

When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, the mother said to the bear, "You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe from the cold and the bad weather." The bear thanked her and curled up into a large furry heap in front of the dying fire.

As soon as day dawned the two boys let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest.   
Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid himself down by the hearth, and let Gerard groom him, stroke him and tell him stories. He never showed any threatening behaviour and eventually Patrick grew to trust him as well and set aside his father's axe when the bear appeared. Gerard drew many pictures of the bear. After a while they got so used to him that the doors were never fastened until their black friend had arrived.

Time passed. Winter faded into nothing more than memory, spring arrived and soon all outside was green and young, flourishing in the spring sun. One bright morning the bear turned to Gerard and said, "Now I must go away, and cannot come back for the whole summer. I shall miss you Gerard. Miss the way you have not feared me from the start, the way you stroke my fur. "

Gerard was miserable to hear this as he'd grown used to the bear visiting them. It was almost like he'd become a member of their family over the winter. "Where are you going, then?" asked Gerard.

If bears could sigh he would have done. "I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked dwarves. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they stay below ground and cannot work their way out. But when the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they break out of the ground, and come out to pry and steal; and what once gets into their hands, and in their caves, does not easily see daylight again. They are not to be trusted. You will recognise them by their beards and tiny red eyes," he said. "Be careful."

Gerard was quite sorry to hear this but he wished him well. The bear stared at him for a long time and then he turned away, running quickly until he was soon out of sight behind the trees.

A few weeks later the mother sent Patrick and Gerard into the forest to get firewood for the cottage. They merrily set off in the sun, singing as they made their way into the forest, Patrick carrying his father's axe and Gerard a couple of sacks for carrying any wood they managed to chop. Once into the forest, they soon came upon a big tree which lay felled on the ground. Close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and forwards in the grass, but they could not make out what it was. They moved forward carefully, keeping their hands on their knives in case they should need them. When they got closer still they realised that what they saw was a half-dressed dwarf with long hair, a beard a yard long and tattoos decorating his back. He was extremely scruffy and dirty. The end of his beard was caught in a crevice of the tree and the dwarf was trying to pull himself loose. He was swearing at the tree and kicking it. They stepped closer and the dwarf stared up at them, his beady eyes sharp and fiery red.

"Why do you just stand there? Come here and help me," he shouted at them.

"What are you about there, little man?" asked Patrick.

The dwarf glared at him. "You stupid boy!" he answered. "I was going to split the tree to get a little wood for cooking. I had driven the wedge safely in and everything was going as I wished, but the wood was too smooth and the wedge suddenly fell asunder. The tree closed so quickly I couldn't pull out my beautiful long and bushy beard. So now it's stuck there and I cannot get away, and the silly, sleek, milk-faced human boys laugh! Ugh! How odious you are! Now come and free me."

Patrick looked at Gerard and Gerard looked at Patrick. Neither of them particularly wanted to help the dwarf but they knew that their mother would be most unhappy with them if they didn't. They stepped forward and tried to pull the beard out but it was caught too fast and too close.

"I will run and fetch some-one," said Patrick.

"You senseless boy!" snarled the dwarf. "Why should you fetch someone? You are already two too many for me as it is; can you not think of something better?"

"Don't be too impatient," Gerard said. "I will help you if you keep still." He pulled his knife out of his pocket and cut off the end of the dwarf's beard.

As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag which lay amongst the roots of the tree and which was full of gold, and lifted it up, grumbling to himself. "Uncouth boys," he said to them. "To cut off a piece of my fine and beautiful beard. It took me years to get it that long. Bad luck to you!" He swung the bag upon his back, and went off without even once looking at the boys or thanking them.

Gerard laid a hand on Patrick's arm as he could see his brother's face turning red and Patrick's hands were in fists. "Leave it," he told him. "He's not worth it and that's our good deed for the day after all." Patrick nodded slightly. Even though he was angry at the dwarf's ill manners he knew their mother would be pleased with the way they'd dealt with the encounter. He lifted up the axe. "Come on; let's see if we can chop some of this wood."

Some weeks after this their mother sent them out to the lake to catch a dish of fish. As they came near the lake they saw something jumping towards the water, as if it were going to leap in. They ran to it and found that it was the same ill-tempered and hairy dwarf, albeit with a much shorter beard.

"Where are you going?" asked Patrick. "You surely don't want to go into the water?"

"You again!" cried the dwarf. "No more sense than last time I saw you. Can you not see that this accursed fish is trying to pull me in? I was fishing, and unluckily the wind twisted my beard into the fishing-line. A large fish bit on my hook and I couldn't pull it out. It's too large and too strong. It keeps pulling me toward it, trying to drag me in and drown me."

"You're very rude." Patrick told him. "Last time we saw you didn't even thank us for helping you. You just swore and abused us. You'll get no help this time unless you give us your name."

The dwarf glared and muttered under his breath but when he realised they wouldn't help without it he begrudgingly gave his name.

"Andy," he said. "My name is Andy and now will you help me, you blasted boys."

Patrick nodded at Gerard and they stepped forward and held the dwarf fast, trying to free his beard from the line but it was all in vain. The beard and the line were entangled fast together. Nothing was left to them but to bring out Gerard's knife again and cut the beard, whereby a further part of it was lost.

When Andy saw that he screamed out, "Is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure one's face? Was it not enough to clip off the end of my beard? Now last time you have cut off the best part of it. I cannot let myself be seen by my people. I wish you had been made to ruin the soles of your shoes!" Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the rushes, and without saying a word more he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone.

"As charming as ever!" Gerard said. At the splashing from the water he looked down. The fish was floundering in the shallows, it's multi-hued scales shining in the sun. Gerard couldn't find it in his heart to kill the fish. It had fought so much against the dwarf that he thought it deserved to be freed.

"Patrick, help me," he said to his brother. But Patrick had already gone to his knees in the water not caring if his jeans were damaged. He carefully lifted the large fish, hoping that it wouldn't struggle too much. Thankfully the fish stayed unnaturally still in his arms and he was able to carefully remove the hook and the line from the fish. He let the fish go into the water. It leapt up into the air; its scales glistening in the sunlight before splashing back into the water and swimming off.

Their mother kept them busy that spring, and as spring turned to summer she sent them to the town to buy her needles and thread, and laces and ribbons. It was a long trip and the road led them across a heath upon which huge pieces of rock lay strewn here and there. Now they noticed a large bird hovering in the air, flying slowly round and round above them. It sank lower and lower and at last settled near a rock not far off. Directly afterwards they heard a loud, piteous cry. They ran up and saw with horror that the eagle had seized their old acquaintance the dwarf, and was going to carry him off.

The boys at once took tight hold of the dwarf and pulled against the eagle so long that at last it let go of the dwarf. As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his first fright he cried out at the boys, in a shrill voice.

"Could you not have done it more carefully? You dragged at my brown coat so that it is all torn and full of holes, you helpless clumsy creatures!" Then he took up a sack full of precious stones and slipped away again into a hole under the rock. The boys, who by this time were used to his ill-manners, went on their way and did their business in the town, buying the items their mother wanted, and some sheets of paper for their own music and drawings.

As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised upon the dwarf. He'd emptied out his bag of precious stones in a clean spot and had obviously not thought that anybody would come that way so late. The evening sun shone down upon the brilliant stones; they glittered and sparkled with all colours so beautiful that Gerard and Patrick stood and looked at them.

"Why do you stand there gaping?" cried Andy the dwarf, and his face became copper red with rage. He started to swear at them and then, to their shock, he pulled out a large knife and lunged at them. Gerard stumbled back and fell to the ground. The dwarf came toward him holding the knife high, but then a loud growling was heard, and a large bear came running towards them out of the forest. The dwarf sprang back in fright but he could not get to his cave, for the bear was too close and blocking his way. Patrick pulled Gerard to his feet and they listened in horror as the dwarf cried out;

"Dear Mr Bear, spare me. I will give you all of my treasures; look the jewels lying there. Grant me my life; what do you want with such a small fellow as I? You would not even feel me as you swallowed me down. Come, take these two wicked boys. They are tender morsels for you, fat as young quails; for mercy's sake eat them, not me!"

The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the wicked creature a single blow with his paw. The dwarf fell to the ground and he did not move again.

Patrick pushed Gerard away, but the bear called out to them. "Gerard and Patrick do not be afraid; wait, I will come with you."

Then they recognised his voice and turning they waited. When he came up to them suddenly his bearskin fell off and he stood there a handsome man, naked under the darkening sky. Patrick watched as Gerard blushed bright red as he stared at the man.

"My brother and I were bewitched by that wicked dwarf who then stole our treasures, "said the transformed bear. "I have had to run about the forest as a savage bear, and my brother had to swim in the lake as a large unspeaking fish. His voice being stolen from him was a wicked thing. We were only to be freed by the dwarf's death. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment. My name is Bob, and my brother is named Pete. "

Patrick watched with amusement as Bob pulled Gerard toward him, ignoring his naked state. Bob kissed Gerard possessively and Gerard melted against him.

"Snow-white," he said. "Sweet Snow-white, who stroked my coat and brushed my back, who told me stories and drew my picture and never cared that I was naught but a bear. I would have you as my mate. And now..."he pushed Gerard away gently. "We must find my brother. "

They followed him, all the time Gerard keeping his face turned away from his brother, instead choosing to stare at Bob's back and ass. Gerard clearly felt no shame in staring at the naked man who had asked him to be his mate. Patrick said nothing to him then, simply storing it up to tease his brother at a later stage.

As they got to the lake they could see a body lying on the shore. Bob let out a cry and ran toward the figure. "Pete!" he called. He knelt down next to the man, turning him over. The other groaned and sat up.

"Bob." His smile was large and infectious and Patrick couldn't help but look him over, staring at the tattoos on his skin, the dark hair, the lean and muscled body and white white teeth. Pete pushed himself up until he was standing.

"The dwarf is dead then. Good!" He turned and looked at Patrick. He stepped toward him and Patrick blushed as red as his namesake, the rose. "You." Pete said. "Thank you for saving me from the dwarf." He lifted his hand and ran his fingers over Patrick's lips. "Rose-Red they may call you," he said. "But to me you'll be my love and will be called Trick."

They four young men left the lake together and, going back to the dwarf's home, they collected the treasure.

And so it came to pass that Gerard was married to Bob, and Patrick to Pete, and they divided between themselves the great treasure which the dwarf had gathered together in his cave. They built a large house where they lived in harmony. Most of the time! They made sweet music together and had lots of sex and their mother, who'd come to live with them, was thankful that they'd built her a separate annex so that she did not have to listen to the noises coming from their bedrooms! She brought with her the two rose-trees, and they stood before her window and every year bore the most beautiful roses, white and red.


End file.
